# @enquirer on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVZJwmLkV8R
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/58190036-enquirer-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/683584eef9.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-02T19:00:21.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sam Greene (@sgdoesit) — https://gondola.cc/sgdoesit

## Caption

The founding pastor of one of Greater Cincinnati’s largest churches told its members Sunday he’s cooperating with an investigation into whether he used a horse whip on a man who visited his church office more than a decade ago.

Brian Tome, who has been a pastor at Crossroads Church since it first held services in Cincinnati 30 years ago, is accused of whipping and rubbing the man's crotch with a riding crop during an encounter in 2015.

An email to church members last week announced Tome’s suspension from his pastoral duties but gave few details about the accusation, describing it as “inappropriate physical humor.” Church officials provided more information at Sunday services in a pre-recorded video, which included a brief statement from Tome.

“This is just heart wrenching,” Tome said. “I’m thankful the independent investigation is happening. I’m cooperating. I welcome it.”

The turmoil at Crossroads comes at a time of rapid growth in influence and visibility for the church across the region. It has been at the forefront of a decades-long movement of the Christian faithful away from traditional Catholic and mainline protestant churches to non-denominational evangelical churches.

Since its first public services in a middle school auditorium in 1996, Crossroads has become Greater Cincinnati’s largest evangelical church, attracting about 30,000 members and expanding to nine locations in Ohio and Kentucky.

Tome has been at the center of that growth from the beginning. He was hired as Crossroad’s first senior pastor in the mid-1990s and has remained a leader of the church ever since.

Read the full story at the link in our bio. (📸: albertcesare / The Enquirer) #cincinnati #cincinnatiohio #crossroads

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## Tags

cincinnatiohio, cincinnati, crossroads

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